Permutation-lock.



No. 6601MB. Patented Oct. I6, |900. J. H. LIVINGSTONE.

PERMUTATIDN LOCK.

(Application ld Aug. 15, 1900.)

(No Model.)

llllrlllllllllI/II/llll JOSEPH HOLT LIVINGSTONE, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PEHIVIUTATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,018, dated October 16, 1900.

Application tiled August 15, 1900. Aserial llo. 26,927. KNO model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HOLT LIVING- STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to permutation'- locks, and particularly to a lock of that character embodying rotating tumblers and an automatically-operated throw-off device for placing the tumblers out of combination as and when the door to which the lock is applied is closed.

Theinvention has forone object to simplify, improve, and economize the construction of locks of this character, and especially the throw-off mechanism for automatically actuating the tumblers and throwing the same out of combination.

A further object of the invention isto improve the construction and arrangement of the supporting-plates for the operating mechanism and also the throw-off slide which engages the tumblers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the face of the lock applied to the door. Fig. 2 is a similar View from the rear with the protecting-casing removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section through Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a vertical section. Fig. 5 is a top view of the throw-off slide. Fig. G is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the locking-bolt and its casing, and Fig. S is a detail perspective of the tumbler fence-plate and guiding means therefor.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings the letter A designates a framework of any suitable construction or conguration, within which a pivoted door A is mounted.

It will be understood that the lock is capable of application to any structure to be locked; but for the purpose of illustration it has been shown as cooperating with a lockingbolt for the door of a post-office box. The door A is provided upon its face with suitable apertures for the insertion of the dials B, and the body of the plate about these dials is provided with suitable indicating-points A2 for use in connection with the indications B upon the dial B. This dial is provided with any desired arrangement or number of letters or numerals, preferably of a clearlydefined character, so that the locks may be arranged in a variety of combinations. The dial is provided with a suitable knob B2 for rotating the same. This knob is interiorly threaded, as at B2, and provided with an eX- tended shank B4, adapted to form a bearing for the same in its rotation.

A suitable front plate C is provided and has a bead C fitting the aperture in the front plate A. This plate is also provided with an aperture C2, through which the shank Bl of the operating-knob passes, and the walls of this aperture provide a bearing for the shank spaced from the bearing-aperture D' of the inner plate D. The inner end of the shank B4' of the operating-knob carries a suitable tumbler E, having a gating E', corresponding in position with the letter upon the dial making the proper combination. This tumbler is also provided with a toothed periphery E2, by which it cooperates with a throw-off mechanism to be hereinafter described. The tumbler is clamped in position by means of a bolt E2 entering the threaded aperture B2 of the knob B2, and a clamping-Washer E* is interposed between the head of said screw and the tumbler. A spring friction-washer E4 is also interposed between the tumbler E and tho `back plate D of the lock, thus offering a slight frictional resistance to the rotation of the tumblers.

For the purpose of coperating with the notches E in the tumblers E, I have provided a fence-plate F of a very simple and efficient construction. This plate is provided at its upper portion with a cross-head F and fences F2, adapted to sit in the gatings E', while the shank F3 thereof passes through a guide-lug D2, bent from the back plate D. This lug has an aperture D3 for the passage of `the shank F2 and au additional aperture Dl for IOO ,3J eeobie the passage of the operating-rod G, carried by the lug F4, which is bent outward from the plate F or otherwise attached thereto. A suitable coiled spring G surrounds the rod G and rests upon, the plate D2, so as to be compressed thereon when the fence-plate is forced downward by means of the finger-piece H, located upon the face of the plate A' and connected to the fence-plate F by means of the pin H', operating in a slotted Way AB in the face-plate. lt will be seen that the spring G will restore the fence-plate to an elevated position when pressure is removed from the iinger-piece H. bears upon one armof a crank-lever I, the other arm being in engagement with a slot J/, formed in the locking-bolt J. This bolt is mounted at its inner end in asuitable casing A4, carried by the plate A', and is projected by means of a spring J 2, located in the casing A4 behind the bolt J. The outer end of the bolt is guided in a slotted caseA5 and may be etlracted by means of a pin J3, carried by the By means of the foregoing structure the combination of the locking-tumblers may be operated to permit the depression of the rod G and the operation of the locking-bolt J to open the door; but when the door is closed the combination is still in .position to permit its being opened again if the operator neglects to turn the knobs B2 and throw-off the combination. For the purpose of automatically performing this throw-off operation an iinproved construction of slide 'K has been provided,which is formed with slotted projections K', adapted to slide over the posts A, extending inward from the face-plate A. These posts support the throw-off slide K and guide its reciprocations. The slide is also provided with a central offset K2,adapted to pass around the lower end of the fence-plate F and permit the free operation of the shank of the same, The slide K is further provided with pivoted pawls or dogs K3, held in an elevated position by any suit-able form of spring-such, for int stance, as shown at K4-s'o as to normally engage one of the teeth F.2 upon the periphery of the tumbler. When the door is opeued,one end of the throw-off slide next the hinge side of the door is normally projected beyond the edge of the casing and adapted to engage the doorcasing by means of any suitable spring-such,

for instance, as shown at L-one end of which is secured to the casing and the opposite end L adapted to engage one side of the offset K2, and thus move the throw-oft slide into operative position after the same has been pushed inward by the closing of the door. The closing of the door causes the end K5 of the slide to engage the jamb of the casing, thus moving the slide'and rotating each of the tumblers E by means of the dogs K3 to such an extent as to move the gatings or recesses E from beneath the fences F2, which throws 0E the combination and leaves the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, where the door is in The lower end of the rod Gr a locked condition and the tumblers have been vreset to open the door.

From the foregoing description the operation of the several part-s will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the structure herewith presented is particularly adapted for economical manufacture and efficient operation, as the essential parts can be formed of sheet material and stamped or pressed into shape, while the apertures in and projections l from such members as the fence-plate and back plate can be simultaneously cut and require only bendi-ng and adjustment when the 100k is to be assembled for use. It will likewise be seen that the front plate C is capable of production at single stamping operation and that all of the parts by reason of their simplicity in construction and operation are not liable .to become disarranged in use or broken, whereby the efciency of the lock is materially increased and the annoyance ncident to the disarraugement of complicated structures entirely avoided. The operating parts of the lock are suitably inclosed by a rear casing' A7, secured by any desired means to the posts A6 which project from the face-v plate.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details of construction and conviguration of this invention without departing from the spirit or this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to rsecure by Letters Patent, is- A l. In a permutation-lock, the combination with a tumbler having peripheral teeth and bolt-operating mechanism cooperating with said tumbler, of a throw-off slide having one of its ends normally projecting beyond the look-casing and adapted to engage the doorcasing, a pawl carried by said slide and adapted to engage a tooth on said tumbler, and means for yieldingly proj ectingSaid slide I in One direction; substantially as'speciied.

2. In a permutation-lock, the combination with a rotating tumbler provided with peripheral teeth, of bolt-operating mechanism cooperating with said tum bler, a throw-oft slide mounted beneath said tumbler and normally projected at vone end beyond the lock-casing and adapted to engage the door-casing, a pawl pivotally 'mounted upon said throw-o slide, and a spring for normally projecting said slide in one direction; substantially as specified.

3, In a permutation-lock, the combination with a face-plate provided with posts extending Jfrom its inner face, rotating tumblers supported by said plate land provided with peri ph'- y eral teeth, bolt-operating mechanism carried by said plate and adapted to coperate with said tumblers, a throw-off slide provided with slotted ways adapted to rest upon said posts, a pawl carried by said slide and adapted lto engage a tooth in said tumblers, and a spring adapted to normally project said slide IOO IIO

IIS

n in one direction beyond the lock-casing whereoctroi@ :i

by the bolt may be engaged by the door-casing within which said face-plate is pivoted substantially as speciied.

4C. In a permutation-lock, the combination with a front plate, of a back plate supported therebj,7 and provided with a lug having a guide-aperture, rotatable tumblers carried by said front plate, a i'enceplate having a single shank adapted to pass through lthe aperture in said lug and cooperating with said tumblers, a pin supported by alug from said fenceplate and passed through an aperture in the lug upon the back plate, a spring surrounding said pin and resting upon said lugs, and a locking-bolt operatively connected with said pin; substantially as specified.

5. In a permutation-look, the combination with a front plate, of a back plate supported thereby and provided with a lug having a guide-aperture, rotatable tumbler-s carried by said front plate, a fence-plate having a single shank adapted to pass through the aperture in said lug and coperating with said tumblers, a pin supported bya lug from said fenceplate and passed through an aperture in the lug upon the back plate, a spring surrounding said pin and resting upon said lugs, a locking-bolt operatively connected with said pin, a throw-off slide provided with a central 0E- set portion adapted to bridge the shank of said fence-plate, pawls carried by said throwott slide and adapted to rotate said tumblers, and a yielding device for projecting one end of said slide beyond the casing thereof Whereby it is adapted to engage the door-casing; substantially as specied.

6. In a permutation-lock, the combination of a door-casing, a supporting-plate pivoted therein, rotating tumblers carried by said plate and provided With toothed peripheries, bolt-operating mechanism cooperating with said tumblers, a throw-off slide supported by said plate and provided with paWls adapted to engage and move said tumblers in the movement of the slide, and a yielding device adapted to normally project one end of the throwoff slide beyond the edge of said supportingplate whereby the slide may engage the door casing and be forced inward to rotate the tumblers; substantially as specied.

7. In a permutation-lock, the combination with a tu mbler and bolt-operating mechanism cooperating therewith,of a throwbi slide having one of its ends normally projecting beyond the edge of a lock-casing and adapted to engage the door-casing, means carried by said slide to operatively engage said tumbler when the slide is moved in one direction and to be inoperative in the return movement of the slide, and means for restoring said slide to its normal position; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

J. I-IOLT LIVINGSTONE.

Witnesses:

ALFRED T. GAGE, APPLETON P. CLARK. 

